
The St Vincent de Paul Society's call to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 years in NSW has been met with a mixed reaction from Wagga's state MPs.
The charity wants to see a uniform age of criminal responsibility across the Nation as part of its vision "for a fairer Australia".
Advertisement
Under current NSW legislation "no child who is under the age of 10 years can be guilty of an offence" although a child aged 10 to 14 can be ruled in court to not have known what they were doing was seriously wrong.
St Vincent de Paul Society NSW chief executive, Jack de Groot said putting children through the criminal justice system often led to a lifetime of disadvantage through interrupted education and increased chances of reoffending.
"This is especially important when it comes to First Nations children," he said.
"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are unjustly over-represented when it comes to the criminal justice system."
Independent Wagga MP Joe McGirr said changes to the age of criminal responsibility were worth considering.
"Having young people in the criminal system doesn't actually lead to the right outcomes for them or for society; we need a better system from that point of view, no question," he said.
"It should not mean that children between 10- and 14 get off Scott free.
"If we raise the age of criminal age of responsibility, we must make sure there is an alternative in place that means that people are still responsible for their actions and we support them in making sure it never happens again."
According to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, people aged 10 to 17 made up 62 per cent of motor vehicle offenders last year within the Wagga City Council local government area.
Juveniles made up more than 56 per cent of offenders in break and enter non-dwelling cases, 55 per cent in arson, nearly 44 per cent in break and enter dwelling, 41 per cent of robbery and 18 per cent of shoplifting.
Wagga-based Nationals MLC Wes Fang said he would not support any changes.
"I think a 10-year-old is very well placed to understand the difference between right and wrong," Mr Fang said.
"The do-gooders in society who are trying to find excuses for bad behaviour need to understand that bad behaviour by children, whether they're aged 10 to 14, has a direct impact on society and I think you would have a different view of if were the recipient of that criminality."
The Australian Bureau of Statistics found that 4.3 per cent of all criminal offenders were aged 10 to 13 years across the nation in 2020/21.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Download our app from the Apple Store or Google Play
- Bookmark dailyadvertiser.com.au
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters

Rex Martinich
Journalist for the Daily Advertiser in Wagga Wagga covering politics and data. Mobile: 0437 853 137 Email: rex.martinich@dailyadvertiser.com.au
Journalist for the Daily Advertiser in Wagga Wagga covering politics and data. Mobile: 0437 853 137 Email: rex.martinich@dailyadvertiser.com.au